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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi-low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.

The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi low.